Improvement in bee-hives



SMITH, .vossumau; KRAMER & WINTER.

Bee Hive.

No. 39;451; Patented Aug. 4,1863.

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UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

G. W. SMITH, N. B. VOSBURGH, A. J. KRAMER, AND W. L. WINTER, OF LINNCOUNTY, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT lN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,451, dated August 4,1963.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, G. W. SMITH, N. B. VOSBURGH, A. J. KRAMER, and W.L. WIN- TER, of Linn county, and State of Iowa, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Bee-Hives; and we hereby declare that thefollowing is a true and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the le ters of reference markedthereon.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section of our hive, cuttingthecomb-frames at right angles. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the comb-fr mes.

The letter A represents the body of the hive, made of boards and of theordinary shape and size. The hive A is provided with two doors, B,placed on opposite sides. The doors B are hinged at bottom to the ties(l, which bind the sides of hive A together, and extend upward near twothirds of the height of A, and fit under the boards that bind the upperpart of hive A together, their surfaces, when closed, being flush withsurface of said boards. Doors B, when shut, are confined by a button.

D represents the handles by which the doors B are opened. These handlesare hinged near the center of the doors, and are made to fold back andrest on the surface of B.

E represents the slide, which rests on the ties O, and is designed as asupport to the comb-frames h. The slide E is formed of four pieces ofsmall scantling framed together, two sides resting against the interiorof hive A, and the ends extending as far out as the doors of A. Thesides of slide E that rest against the interior of A are constructedwith a rim, t, the bottom of comb-frames h resting in the angle formedby the rim and the surface of slide E. By this arrangement thecomb-frames h can be easily withdrawn from or returned to the hive A.

To facilitate the removal of the comb-frames entire, and to prevent thebees from waxing the slide E to the hive, the slide E is made to rest atopposite sides on metal plates 1), these plates being made to cover ahalf an inch in width of the bottom of sides of E, and then pass upbetween the outside of E and the interior of A, and are there bent downon the surface of E, forming a sheath or bed, on which E may slide withfacility, (see b, Fig. 2.) The plates 12 extend the whole length ofslide E. The combfra-mes h are secured at top by wire clamps, as seen inFig. 3, and are further held in position by a binder, g, which is laidacross their top in the direction of the two doors, and g is fastened atits ends by a string which passes down and under staple in the slide Thecomb-frames h are kept at their proper distance apart by small nailsdriven into their edges. Directly under the ties O is the hinged bottomH, which is hinged to O, and extends some two inches or more beyond theopposite side of A, and serves as a rest to the bees before they enterthe hives. The bottom 11 can be adjusted by the means of two buttonsplaced beneath it. At the bottom of tie (3, where it rests on H, anopening is made for the admission of the bees into the hive. Into thisopening is inserted a tin case, I, wide enough to admit of the freepassage of the bees. There are two metal slides by which the case I canbe closed, when it becomes necessary to protect the inmates of the hivefrom annoyance.

K represents a movable platform situated just above the top of thecomb-frames h, and supported at its four sides by screws or nailsentering the interior surface of A. Openings are made at the outer edgeof this platform for the bees to ascend above it and engage in theirlabor. A hole is cut through its center, over which a piece ofwire-cloth is fastened for purposes of ventilation. For the same purposeholes are made in three sides of A, and covered in like manner with wirecloth. Several perforations are also made in the bottom H to secure acurrent of air upward.

It will be seen that our hive is marked by great simplicity ofconstruction and facility of access to the interior, the comb-framesbeing easily removed through either door.

Having thus described our hive, what we claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

The slide E, in combination with the metal sheaths b, the comb-frames h,and the doors B, the whole constructed and arranged in the manner andfor the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony that we acknowledge and claim the foregoing we hereby affixour signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

' G. W. SMITH.

N. B. VOSBURGH. I A. J. KRAMER.

Witnesses: W. L. WINTER.

JOHNSTON ELLIOTT, SIMON BIXBY.

